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The debittering of natural table olives is a very slow process. The effect of acetic, lactic and citric acids on the hydrolysis rate of oleuropein was studied in vitro and at pilot plant scale. The acid hydrolysis of oleuropein was faster with lactic and citric acids than acetic acid, running the experiments at the same pH of 3.8-4.0 units. The temperature exerted a high effect of the hydrolysis of oleuropein in a range of 10-30 °C and the concentration of the organic acid did not show a significant trend. Moreover, the in vitro results were confirmed with three lots of olives that presented a higher content of oleuropein after 3-7 months of preservation when they were processed with acetic acid rather than lactic acid and the opposite for hydroxytyrosol. These results open the possibility of accelerating the debittering of natural olives by preserving them with lactic acid instead of acetic acid., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the results of a collaborative study involving seven laboratories and concerning two samples of wine vinegar, one of apple vinegar and four of balsamic vinegar. The aim of the study was to define standard deviations of repeatability (sr) and reproducibility (sR) for vinegar and balsamic vinegar stable isotope ratios of H (D/H), C (δ 13 C) and O (δ 18 O), in order to establish them as fully recognized official standards. Acetic acid was extracted and subjected to (D/H) CH3 and δ 13 C analysis. δ 18 O analysis was performed on whole samples. The grape must solution remained after distillation of balsamic vinegar was fermented and the resulting ethanol was subjected to (D/H) I , (D/H) II , R and δ 13 C analysis. The sr and sR were 0.6 ppm and 1.1 ppm for (D/H) CH3 , 0.14‱ and 0.25‱ for δ 13 C of acetic acid, 0.1‱ and 0.17‱ for δ 18 O of water, 0.19 ppm and 0.64 ppm for ethanol (D/H) I , 1.14 and 1.31 ppm for (D/H) II , 0.09 and 0.11‱ for δ 13 C of ethanol. These data are in line with those in the literature or reported in corresponding official methods, and sr and sR of balsamic vinegar are in line with those of vinegar and must.

Background: As the dry rhizome of Anemone raddeana Regel, Rhizoma Anemones Raddeanae (RAR), which belongs to Ranunculaceae, is usually used to treat wind and cold symptoms, hand-foot disease and spasms, joint pain and ulcer pain in China. It is well known that the efficacy of RAR can be distinctly enhanced by processing with vinegar due to the reduced toxicity and side effects. However, the entry of vinegar into liver channels can cause a series of problems. In this paper, the differences in the acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects between RAR and vinegar-processed RAR were compared in detail. The changes in the chemical compositions between RAR and vinegar-processed RAR were investigated, and the mechanism of vinegar processing was also explored., Methods: Acute toxicity experiments were used to examine the toxicity of vinegar-processed RAR. A series of studies, such as the writhing reaction, ear swelling experiment, complete Freund's adjuvant-induced rat foot swelling experiment and cotton granuloma, in experimental mice was conducted to observe the anti-inflammatory effect of vinegar-processed RAR. The inflammatory cytokines of model rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time of Flight mass spectrometer Detector (LC-Q-TOF) was used to analyse the chemical compositions of the RARs before and after vinegar processing., Results: Neither obvious changes in mice nor death phenomena were observed as the amount of vinegar-processed RAR in crude drug was set at 2.1 g/kg. Vinegar-processed RAR could significantly prolong the latency, reduce the writhing reaction time to reduce the severity of ear swelling and foot swelling, and remarkably inhibit the secretion of Interleukin-1β(IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) proinflammatory cytokines. The content of twelve saponins (e.g., Eleutheroside K) in RAR was decreased after vinegar processing, but six other types (e.g., RDA) were increased., Conclusions: These results revealed that vinegar processing could not only improve the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of RAR but also reduce its own toxicity., Trial Registration: Not applicable.

Acetic acid is indirectly involved in cell center metabolism, and acetic acid metabolism is the core of central metabolism, affecting and regulating the production of bacteriocin. Bacteriocin is a natural food preservative that has been used in the meat and dairy industries and winemaking. In this paper, the effects of acetic acid on bacteriocin produced by Gram-positive bacteria were reviewed. It was found that acetic acid in the undissociated state can diffuse freely through the hydrophobic layer of the membrane and dissociate, affecting the production, yield, and activity of bacteriocin. In particular, the effect of acetic acid on cell membranes is summarized. The link between acetic acid metabolism, quorum sensing, and bacteriocin production mechanisms is also highlighted.

This paper first reports on the selective separation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (acetic and hexanoic acids) using polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) containing quaternary ammonium and phosphonium ionic liquids (ILs) as the carrier. The affecting parameters such as IL content, VFA concentration, and the initial pH of the feed solution as well as the type and concentration of the stripping solution were investigated. PIMs performed a much higher selective separation performance toward hexanoic acid. The optimal PIM composed of 60 wt% quaternary ammonium IL with the permeability coefficients for acetic and hexanoic acid of 0.72 and 4.38 µm s -1 , respectively, was determined. The purity of hexanoic acid obtained in the stripping solution increased with an increase in the VFA concentration of the feed solution and decreasing HCl concentration of the stripping solution. The use of Na 2 CO 3 as the stripping solution and the involvement of the electrodialysis process could dramatically enhance the transport efficiency of both VFAs, but the separation efficiency decreased sharply. Furthermore, a coordinating mechanism containing hydrogen bonding and ion exchange for VFA transport was demonstrated. The highest purity of hexanoic acid (89.3%) in the stripping solution demonstrated that this PIM technology has good prospects for the separation and recovery of VFAs from aqueous solutions.

Substrates, the microbial community, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are interacting factors in anaerobic fermentation. In this paper, a microfiltration membrane was installed in a conventional reactor for sludge anaerobic fermentation, and changes in the VFA composition and the microbial community structure after the application were monitored. The membrane rejected much more polysaccharide than protein. VFA production, mainly acetic acid, was greatly enhanced by the membrane separation. The glycolytic species Christensenella minuta was significantly enriched. The explanation was inferred to be the higher retention rate of polysaccharide compared with proteins by the microfiltration. However, surprisingly, another polysaccharide using genus, Parabacteroides, did not benefit from the application of the membrane separation, suggesting more complicated mechanisms might be involved., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The main goal of this paper is to compare the general polynomial forms of the osmotic virial equation and the Margules model for the liquid activity coefficients in binary systems. The coefficients/parameters in each model can be calculated based on best fits to experimental phase equilibrium data. Here, the activity coefficient models were combined with the equation of solid-liquid equilibrium. We obtain the coefficients/parameters for the osmotic virial equation and the one- and two-parameter Margules models and compare the accuracy of each model for fitting the experimental data for five water/solute systems: water/glycerol, water/acetic acid, water/propanoic acid, water/mono-ethylene glycol, and water/sulfolane. In obtaining the osmotic virial coefficients, we present a method to fit the equation to the entire range of data including both the ice-formation region and the solute-precipitation region. In expression of the concentration effect of the solute, we showed that the integration constant that arises from the Gibbs-Duhem equation is dependent on the osmotic virial coefficients. The osmotic virial equation is of great interest for its ability to empirically model a very wide range of aqueous solutions and as such is one of the most widely used solution models in biology.

In this paper, glycerol esterification with acetic acid (AA) was studied on several solid acid catalysts: Al 2 O 3 , Al-MCM-41, HPA/SiO 2 , HBEA, Amberlyst 15 and Amberlyst 36 with the aim of determining the reaction conditions and the nature of the surface acid sites required to produce selectively triacetylglycerol (triacetin). The acidity of the catalysts (nature, density and strength of acid sites) was characterized by temperature-programmed desorption of NH 3 and FTIR of adsorbed pyridine. Al 2 O 3 (Lewis acidity) did not show any activity in the reaction. In contrast, highest activity and selectivity to the triacetylated product (triacetin) were obtained on catalysts with Brønsted acidity: Amberlyst 15 and Amberlyst 36. The effect of temperature and molar ratio of AA to glycerol was studied, and the results showed that both parameters have a significant impact on the production of the desired product. Glycerol conversion rate and selectivity to triacetin increased when temperature or AA to glycerol molar ratio were increased, reaching a triacetin yield on Amberlyst 36 of 44% at 393 K and AA to glycerol molar ratio of 6. Deactivation and reusability of Amberlyst 36 were evaluated by performing consecutive catalytic tests. The presence of some irreversible deactivation due to sulfur loss was observed. In addition, the feasibility of using crude glycerol from biodiesel production as reactant was also investigated. Conversion of crude pretreated glycerol yielded values of triacetin and diacetin similar to those obtained with the commercial pure glycerol although at a lower rate.

Automated analysis of digital cervix images acquired during visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is found to be of great help to physicians in diagnosing cervical cancer. Application of 3-5% acetic acid to the cervix turns abnormal lesions white, while normal lesions remain unchanged. Digital images of the cervix can be acquired during VIA procedure and can be analyzed using image-processing algorithms. Three main attributes to be considered for analysis are color, vascular patterns, and lesion margins, which differentiate between normal and abnormal lesions. This paper provides a review of state-of-the-art image analysis methods to process digital images of the cervix, acquired during VIA procedure for cervical cancer screening of classification of abnormal lesions.

Naturally occurring nanoparticles may be present in food. In this paper we report the discovery of fluorescent nanoparticles (FNs) in Chinese mature vinegar. The physicochemical properties of these FNs were investigated. The FNs were shown to emit bright blue fluorescence under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, with a fluorescence quantum yield of 5.71%. They are highly soluble in aqueous solution, and exhibit excitation-dependent emission behavior. TEM characterization showed that the average size of FNs is about 1.40 ± 0.40 nm, and the morphology of FNs is mainly spherical. The physicochemical properties of FNs are similar to those of artificially synthesized carbon dots. Furthermore, the interaction between FNs and dopamine was studied, and the fluorescence of FNs varied gradually from a blue, to a cyan and finally to a green color with increasing dopamine concentration. The fluorescence decay dynamics revealed that Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurred between the FNs and polymerized dopamine. This result suggests that the FNs from Chinese mature vinegar can interact with dopamine, which may add a new perspective to the potential health implications of foodborne nanoparticles.

This paper presents a new soil amendment used for immobilization of soil Pb, produced from vinegar residue, stainless steel slag, and weathered coal. The pH value measuring, granulation and adsorption experiments were carried out to determine the optimal composition of soil amendment. Optimizing soil amendment B2 was composed of vinegar residue, weathered coal (humic acid 61.53 wt%), and stainless steel slag with the ratio of 80∶16∶4, and particle size was in the range of 2-4 mm. In the leaching column experiment, B2 addition reduced the Pb release from the soil as well as increasing leachate pH and decreasing the bioavailable Pb concentration. The leachate Pb concentration decreased with lengthened leaching time under lower pH, but such a phenomenon disappeared in the rebounding period. Compared to control, the DTPA extractable Pb content in soil decreased by 12.41, 13.20, and 8.78% with the B2 addition amount of 1.00, 2.00, and 2.00 wt%, respectively. In addition, the total Pb content of each soil layer generally rose as B2 addition increased. It was concluded that application of B2 led to lower transport and transformation of Pb in soil. Based on the single chemical extraction, the environmental risk of Pb was decreased after application of B2. Meanwhile, soil amendment was also a new way to recycle vinegar residue, stainless steel slag, and weathered coal.

Recently, the integrated ethanol-methane fermentation process has been studied to prevent wastewater pollution. However, when the anaerobic digestion reaction runs poorly, acetic acid will accumulate in the recycling water. In this paper, we studied the effect of low concentration of acetic acid (≤25 mM) on ethanol fermentation at different initial pH values (4.2, 5.2 or 6.2). At an initial pH of 4.2, ethanol yields increased by 3.0% and glycerol yields decreased by 33.6% as the acetic acid concentration was increased from 0 to 25 mM. Raising the concentration of acetic acid to 25 mM increased the buffering capacity of the medium without obvious effects on biomass production in the cassava medium. Acetic acid was metabolized by Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the reason that the final concentration of acetic acid was 38.17% lower than initial concentration at pH 5.2 when 25 mM acetic acid was added. These results confirmed that a low concentration of acetic acid in the process stimulated ethanol fermentation. Thus, reducing the acetic acid concentration to a controlled low level is more advantageous than completely removing it.

Background: Bupleuri Radix (in Chinese Chaihu), the dried roots of Bupleurum Chinense DC, is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used to treat fever, hepatitis, jaundice, nephritis, dizziness. When baked with vinegar, its effect is more focused on liver related disease. This paper was undertaken to determine the best vinegar amount in the processing and explore its key efficacy components., Methods: Hepatoprotective effects of Radix Bupleuri after processing with different amount of vinegar (1:5, 2:5, 3:5) were investigated on liver hurt rats, and the change of constituents were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)., Results: With the increasing amount of vinegar, the hepatoprotective effects of vinegar-baked Radix Bupleuri (VBRB) and the content of saikosaponin b2 increased., Conclusion: These results suggested that vinegar amount in the process affected the pharmacological effect of VBRB significantly and saikosaponin b2 may be the key efficacy component of it.

Bacterial biofilms are considered to be the hindrance in the treatment of chronic wound, because of their tolerance toward antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents. They also have strong ability to escape from the host immune attack. Acetic acid, as a kind of organic weak acid, can disturb the biofilms by freely diffusing through the bacterial biofilms and bacterial cell membrane structure. Then the acid dissociates to release the hydrogen ions, leading to the disorder of the acid-base imbalance, change of protein conformation, and the degradation of the DNA within the membranes. This paper reviews the literature on the characteristics and treatment strategies of the bacterial biofilms and the acetic acid intervention on them, so as to demonstrate the roles acetic acid may play in the treatment of chronic wound, and thus provide a convincing treatment strategy for this kind of disease.

Aim: Anal intraepithelial neoplasia precedes the development of anal squamous cell carcinoma. Detection of the lesion is essential to management. This paper describes a prospective study to detect and ablate anal squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) using white light narrow band imaging (NBI) and NBI with acetic acid (NBIA)., Method: Sixty patients with abnormal anal cytology and risk factors for anal dysplasia underwent examination of the anoderm with a high definition gastroscope and NBIA. Targeted biopsies were taken and the lesions were ablated and characterized histopathologically. Visualization of the anal transitional zone was facilitated by retroflexion and examination through a disposable anoscope., Results: Targeted biopsies were taken from lesions in 58 patients. No lesion was seen in two patients. Histopathology showed SIL in 48 (80.0%) of 60 biopsies. One biopsy showed lymphoid aggregates. Biopsies in nine (15%) of the 60 patients showed normal mucosa. Lesions were seen in white light in 27 (45%) of the 60 cases, NBI in 39 (65%) and NBIA in 57 (95%). There was no major morbidity. Sensitivity analysis showed that all methods were significantly different from each other., Conclusion: Anal SIL in the anal transitional zone and anal canal can be identified by NBIA. Patient selection influences findings. Limitations include small sample size and non-randomization., (© 2015 The Authors. Colorectal Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.)

A shortcut review was carried out to establish whether dousing areas of contact with vinegar could relieve the symptoms of Irukandji syndrome. Four studies were directly relevant to the question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is there is a lack of evidence for effectiveness and the latest local guidelines should be followed., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/)

Methylene blue (MB) and other photo-sensitizer molecules have been recognized as effective means for the inactivation of bacteria and other pathogens owing to their ability to photo-generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) including singlet oxygen. These reactive species react with the membrane of the bacteria causing their destruction. However, the efficiency of MB to destroy bacteria in plasma is very low because the MB 660 nm absorption band, that is responsible for the ROS generation, is bleached. The bleaching of MB, in plasma, is caused by the attachment of a hydrogen atom to the central ring nitrogen of MB, which destroys the ring conjugation and forms Leuco-MB which does not absorb in the 600 nm region. In this paper we show that addition of dilute acetic acid, ∼10(-4) M, to human plasma, prevents H-atom attachment to MB, allowing MB to absorb at 660 nm, generates singlet oxygen and thus inactivates bacteria. The mechanism proposed, for preventing MB bleaching in plasma, is based on the oxidation of cysteine to cystine, by reaction with added dilute acetic acid, thus eliminating the availability of the thiol hydrogen atom which attaches to the MB nitrogen. It is expected that the addition of acetic acid to plasma will be effective in the sterilization of plasma and killing of bacteria in wounds and burns.

Objective: To improve the traditional fingerprint method to distinguish vinegar processed Genkwa Flos from raw Genkwa Flos., Methods: Ten batches of Genkwa Flos were collected, processed with vinegar through a standard method, and then analyzed under the optimum HPLC condition. Based on the chromatographic data obtained, a common model of vinegar processed Genkwa Flos fingerprints, including 11 common peaks and the components genkwanin, hydroxygenkwanin, luteolin, apigenin and yuanhuacin were identified, was established. The peak of baicalein, an exogenous component added quantitatively to the samples as an internal standard, was served as the reference peak. The similarity between the test samples and the common model was computed using the improved Euclidean distance method developed in this paper., Results: The similarities between vinegar processed Genkwa Flos samples and the common model were higher than 0.9, whereas those between raw Genkwa Flos and the common model were lower than 0.9., Conclusion: The proposed method thus effectively provides a clear distinction between vinegar processed and raw Genkwa Flos samples. The result is helpful to ensure the safe clinical use of the plant and expand the application field of fingerprinting technology.

The discrimination of complex mixtures, especially those with very similar compositions, remains a challenging part of chemical analysis. In this paper, a single cataluminescence (CTL) sensor constructed using MgO nanomaterials in a closed reaction cell (CRC) was used to identify vinegars. It may provide an archetype of this type of highly multicomponent system. By scanning the CTL spectra, which were distributed in 15 wavelengths during the reaction period, the spectral array patterns of the vinegars were obtained. These functioned as their fingerprints. The CTL signals of the array were then normalized and identified through linear discrimination analysis (LDA). Nine types and eight brands of vinegars and an additional series of artificial samples were tested; the new technique was found to distinguish between them very well. This single sensor demonstrated excellent promise for analysis of complex mixtures in real-world applications and may provide a novel method for identifying very similar complex analytes., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A shortcut review was carried out to establish whether dousing areas of contact with vinegar could relieve the symptoms of Irukandji syndrome. Four studies were directly relevant to the question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is there is a lack of evidence for effectiveness and the latest local guidelines should be followed., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

In the paper, the production of wood vinegar from Chinese fir sawdust (FS), cotton stalk (CS) and bamboo sawdust (BS) by carbonization process was addressed. The wood vinegar yield was investigated and the organic compounds contained were determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. It was found that the refined wood vinegar yield of FS increased firstly and then decreased with increasing carbonization temperature and the highest yield reached about 25% in 350-450°C. The relative contents of acids and ketones from FS decreased and that of phenols increased with increasing temperature. The relative contents of acids and phenols in the wood vinegars produced from the samples were in the order of BS>CS>FS and that of ketones reversed. KCl solution treatment caused a decrease in the relative contents of the phenols and ketones, but an increase in that of the acids in FS wood vinegar., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper proposes two methods for determination of cadmium in vinegar employing electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The optimization step was performed using two-level full factorial and Box-Behnken designs, being that a new multiple response function was established. Under experimental conditions of pyrolysis temperature of 640 °C and atomization temperature of 2000 °C, the direct method allows the analysis using the external calibration technique, with limit of quantification of 14 ng L(-1) and characteristic mass of 1.2 pg, having aluminium as chemical modifier. This method was applied in six samples of vinegar acquired from Salvador City, Brazil. The cadmium content varied from 20 to 890 ng L(-1). Other method was also proposed by digestion using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in reflux system employing cold finger, being cadmium determined by ETAAS. The results obtained with the complete digestion procedure were in agreement with those found by the direct method proposed herein., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, liver targeting is usually achieved by coadministration with Vinegar-baked Radix Bupleuri (VBRB), but the mechanism is unclear. In this paper, the influence of VBRB on the activity of β-glucuronidase was investigated and compared with that of saikosaponins. The activity of β-glucuronidase was measured by microplate reader using a 4-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucuronide substrate. The change of 4-nitrophenol content was used to characterize the activity of β-glucuronidase. Bupleurum chinenes were found to be the inhibitor of β-glucuronidase. The inhibition rate of Bupleurum chinenes extracts BC1 (high molecular weight polysaccharides), BC2 (ethanol soluble/water insoluble component), BC3 (extracted by n-butanol, soluble in water), and BC4 (low molecular weight water soluble parts) on the activity of β-glucuronidase was found to be 45.15%, 33.94%, 24.94%, and 34.54%, respectively, after 1 h incubation, with BC1 showing the highest inhibition rate. In contrast, the saikosaponins were demonstrated to be the promoter of β-glucuronidase, with promotion rates of 333.56%, 217.04%, 247.87%, 149.75%, and 92.50% for saikosaponin standard samples A, B, B2, C, and D, respectively, (p<0.05). In conclusion, inhibiting the activity of β-glucuronidase might be one of the reasons why VBRB could influence drug distribution upon its coadministration with other drugs. Since saikosaponins and VBRB extracts have opposite effect, more attention should be paid to the content of saikosaponins in the extracts upon its application.

In the present paper, 152 vinegar samples with four different brands were chosen as research targets, and their near infrared spectra were collected by diffusion reflection mode and transmission mode, respectively. Furthermore, the brand traceability models for edible vinegar were constructed. The effects of the collection mode and pretreatment methods of spectrum on the precision of traceability models were investigated intensively. The models constructed by PLS1-DA modeling method using spectrum data of 114 training samples were applied to predict 38 test samples, and R2, RMSEC and RMSEP of the model based on transmission mode data were 0.92, 0.113 and 0.127, respectively, with recognition rate of 76.32%, and those based on diffusion reflection mode data were 0.97, 0.102 and 0.119, with recognition rate of 86.84%. The results demonstrated that the near infrared spectrum combined with PLS1-DA can be used to establish the brand traceability models for edible vinegar, and diffuse reflection mode is more beneficial for predictive ability of the model.

In this paper, we investigate whether the analysis of stable isotope ratios D/H and ¹³C/¹²C in ethanol and acetic acid and of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O in water can be applied to the ingredients of "aceto balsamico di Modena IGP" (ABM) to evaluate their authenticity. We found that impurities in the extraction solution do not affect the ¹³C/¹²C of acetic acid and the D/H values of acetic acid are not affected under a composite NMR experiment. The standard deviation of repeatability and standard deviation of reproducibility are comparable in wine vinegar and ABM and generally lower than those quoted in the official methods. This means that the validation parameters quoted in the official methods can also be applied to the ingredients of ABM. In addition, we found no changes in the isotopic values from wine to vinegar and to ABM, and from the original must to the ABM must, providing experimental evidence that reference data from wine databanks can also be used to evaluate the authenticity of vinegar and ABM.

This work investigated the feasibility of recovering and concentrating sugars and acetic acid (HAc) from prehydrolysis liquor (PHL) of the kraft-based dissolving pulp process prior to fermentation of hemicellulosic sugars, by the combination of activated carbon adsorption, nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) processes. To reduce the fouling PHL was subjected to adsorption on activated carbon, then the treated PHL (TPHL) passed through a nanofiltration (NF DK) membrane to retain the sugars, and the permeate of acetic acid rich solution was passed through a reverse osmosis membrane (RO SG). It was found that for NF process sugars were concentrated from 48 to 227g/L at a volume reduction factor (VRF) of 5 while 80 to 90% of acetic acid was permeated. For the reverse osmosis process, 68% of acetic acid retention was achieved at pH 4.3 and 500 psi pressure and the HAc concentration increased from 10 to 50g/L., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Quality control of foods is important for both industrial and personal concerns. In the past decade, a variety of sensor techniques have been developed and various applications realized for the analysis of foods in both the liquid and gas phases. In this paper, we report a chemiluminescence (CL) sensor array based on nine catalytic nanomaterials for the discrimination of eight vinegars. CL response patterns can be obtained as 'fingerprints' for a given compound on the sensor array and then discriminated using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The experiments demonstrate that the sensor array has excellent differentiability and reversibility., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This paper presents the performance of cement mortar containing black rice husk ash (BRHA) under nitric and acetic acid attacks. The BRHA, collected from an electrical generating power plant that uses rice husk as fuel, was ground using a grinding machine. The compressive strength loss, weight loss, and expansion of mortars under nitric and acetic acid attack were investigated. The test results of BRHA properties in accordance with the ASTM C 618 standard found that the optimal grinding time was 4 h as this achieved a Blaine fineness of 5370 cm(2)/g. For parametric study, BRHA were used as a Portland cement Type 1 replacement at the levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% by weight of binder. The water-to-binder ratios were 0.55, 0.60, and 0.65. From test results, when the percentage replacements of BRHA in cement increased, it was observed that the strength loss and weight loss of mortars containing BRHA under acetic acid attack were higher than those of the mortars against nitric acid attack. It was found that, of the various BHRA mortars, the strength loss and weight loss due to nitric and acetic acid attacks were the lowest in the mortar with 10% BRHA replacement. For 10%, 20% and 30% BRHA replacements, the rate of expansion of the BRHA mortar decreased when compared with the control mortar. For the mortars with other percentage replacements of BRHA, the rate of expansion increased. Furthermore, the effective water-to-binder ratios of control and BRHA mortars were the primary factor for determining the durability of mortar mixed with BRHA., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper investigates if it is possible to produce inocula to counteract high acetic acid (CH3COO(-)) concentrations during thermophilic anaerobic digestion. To this end, fermenter sludge was exposed for different durations to either gradually increasing CH3COO(-) concentrations or directly exposed to a high concentration (150 mM). Altogether, these enrichments led to inocula with a distinct decrease of representatives of Methanobacteriales, while those of Methanoculleus spp. were hardly affected by any treatment. After the inoculation, good agreements of the abundance of Methanosarcinales and Methanoculleus spp. with total DNA content and methane production rate were apparent. In addition, a gradual adaptation of the inoculum for at least 4 weeks led to a significant increase of Methanosarcina spp. during the subsequent fermentation. These results demonstrate the potential of bioaugmentation to relieve the start-up of an anaerobic digestion suffering from high CH3COO(-) loads, especially pointing to the robust acetoclastic genus Methanosarcina., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper reports the determination of biogenic amines by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fluorescence detection after derivatization with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) in balsamic, apple, and red, white, and Sherry wine vinegars. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) with mixed-mode resins method was used before analysis. The method was successfully validated obtaining adequate values of selectivity, response linearity, precision, accuracy, and low detection and quantification limits. The total content of biogenic amines in vinegars ranged from 23.35 to 1445.2 μg/L, being lower than those reported in wines. Putrescine was the amine that showed the highest concentrations in most samples. Methylamine and phenylethylamine were not determined in any vinegar. Balsamic and "Pedro Ximénez" Sherry vinegars reached the highest amounts of biogenic amines, while apple, white and Sherry wine vinegars had the lowest concentrations. Principal component analysis using the biogenic amines as variables, allowed to separate the different kind of vinegars, excepting red vinegars., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the present paper we describe a new carboxylic acid transporter in Escherichia coli encoded by the gene yaaH. In contrast to what had been described for other YaaH family members, the E. coli transporter is highly specific for acetic acid (a monocarboxylate) and for succinic acid (a dicarboxylate), with affinity constants at pH 6.0 of 1.24±0.13 mM for acetic acid and 1.18±0.10 mM for succinic acid. In glucose-grown cells the ΔyaaH mutant is compromised for the uptake of both labelled acetic and succinic acids. YaaH, together with ActP, described previously as an acetate transporter, affect the use of acetic acid as sole carbon and energy source. Both genes have to be deleted simultaneously to abolish acetate transport. The uptake of acetate and succinate was restored when yaaH was expressed in trans in ΔyaaH ΔactP cells. We also demonstrate the critical role of YaaH amino acid residues Leu¹³¹ and Ala¹⁶⁴ on the enhanced ability to transport lactate. Owing to its functional role in acetate and succinate uptake we propose its assignment as SatP: the Succinate-Acetate Transporter Protein.

Acetic acid was one of the main compositions of the pre-hydrolysis liquor (PHL), which was recovered by reactive extraction with triisooctylamine (TIOA) diluted with decanol. Dilution of TIOA played an important role in extracting acetic acid from the PHL. The recovery of acetic acid from the PHL by TIOA was increased from 10.34% to 66.60% with the dilution of TIOA to 20% by decanol at the HAc to TIOA molar ratio of 1, consequently, the equilibrium distribution coefficient KD increased. The effects of time, temperature and pH on the extraction process were also studied. The extraction process was very fast. The acetic acid extraction decreased from 65.13% to 57.34% with the rise of temperature to 50°C from 20°C. A higher pH increased the dissociation of acetic acid, as a result, decreased acetic acid extraction. The hemicelluloses in the PHL were unaffected on the extraction process of acetic acid., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, a novel approach using UPLC-MS (Ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) coupled with multivariate statistic analysis was established for the profiling and discrimination of raw and processed herb using Genkwa Flos as a model herb. A batch of raw and processed samples was analyzed, and the datasets of t(R)-m/z pairs, ion intensities and sample codes were subjected to the principal component analysis (PCA). Raw and processed herb showed a clear classification of the two groups on the score plot. Loading plot was performed, and the chemical markers having great contributions to the differentiation were screened out. The identities of the chemical markers were identified by comparing the mass spectra and retention times with those of reference compounds and/or tentatively assigned by matching empirical molecular formulae and mass fragments with those of the known compounds published in the literatures. Based on the proposed strategy, yuanhuacine, genkwadaphnin, genkwanin-5-O-β-d-primeveroside, genkwanine N, genkwanin, 3'-hydroxy-genkwanin and apigenin were explored as representative markers in distinguishing the raw from the processed herbs. The method has been successfully applied in the distinguishing raw from processed herbs. Furthermore, the underlying detoxification mechanism of traditional processing procedure on the herb was predicted, and was related to the changes in the metabolic profiling. This research could be valuable to explore the chemical markers, investigate the mechanism underlying the processing procedure, and promote the quality control and safety application of traditional Chinese herbs., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Several mathematical models have been developed in anaerobic digestion systems and a variety of methods have been used for parameter estimation and model validation. However, structural and parametric identifiability questions are relatively seldom addressed in the reported AD modeling studies. This paper presents a 3-step procedure for the reliable estimation of a set of kinetic and stoichiometric parameters in a simplified model of the anaerobic digestion process. This procedure includes the application of global sensitivity analysis, which allows to evaluate the interaction among the identified parameters, multi-start strategy that gives a picture of the possible local minima and the selection of optimization criteria or cost functions. This procedure is applied to the experimental data collected from a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor. Two kinetic parameters and two stoichiometric coefficients are estimated and their accuracy was also determined. The classical least-squares cost function appears to be the best choice in this case study.

Background: In order to maximize the benefits of HIV care and treatment investments in sub-Saharan Africa, programs can broaden to target other diseases amenable to screening and efficient management. We nested cervical cancer screening into family planning clinics at select sites also receiving PEPFAR support for antiretroviral therapy (ART) rollout. This was done using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) by maternal child health nurses. We report on achievements and obstacles in the first year of the program in rural Mozambique., Methods: VIA was taught to clinic nurses and hospital physicians, with a regular clinical feedback loop for quality evaluation and retraining. Cryotherapy using carbon dioxide as the refrigerant was provided at clinics; loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and surgery were provided at the provincial hospital for serious cases. No pathology services were available., Results: Nurses screened 4651 women using VIA in Zambézia Province in year one of the program, more than double the Ministry of Health service target. VIA was judged positive for squamous intraepithelial lesions in 8% (n=380) of the women (9% if age ≥ 30 years (n=3154) and 7% if age <30 years (n=1497); p=0.02). Of the 380 VIA-positive women, 4% (n=16) had lesions (0.3% of 4651 total screened) requiring referral to Quelimane Provincial Hospital. Fourteen (88%) of these 16 women were seen at the hospital, but records were inadequate to judge outcomes. Of women screened, 2714 (58%) either had knowledge of their HIV status prior to VIA or were subsequently sent for HIV testing, of which 583 (21%) were HIV positive., Conclusions: Screening and clinical services were successfully provided on a large scale for the first time ever in these rural clinics. However, health manpower shortages, equipment problems, poor paper record systems and a limited ability to follow-up patients inhibited the quality of the cervical cancer screening services. Using prior HIV investments, chronic disease screening and management for cervical cancer is feasible even in severely resource-constrained rural Africa.

In order to alleviate diabetic foot problems, patients sometimes seek complementary therapies outside the professional context. This paper describes the use of complementary remedies as a topical treatment for diabetic foot ulcers among Jordanians. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse written responses of 68 patients with diabetes who have used complementary therapies to treat diabetic foot problems. These 68 persons represented a subgroup of the study population surveyed using a questionnaire, to the effect of investigating diabetic foot treatments provided in Jordan. Informants were recruited from eight healthcare facilities established in the southern part of Jordan plus from one hospital established in the Jordanian capital. The study was approved by the Boards of Ethics of the participating healthcare facilities. Content analysis yielded the category "Complementary Therapies Used", which included a range of household items (olive oil, sesame oil, honey, and vinegar), and also some indigenous Jordanian herbs (Wormwood, Myrrh, Caper, and Henna among others). The remedies were used either as a monotherapy or as mixtures, to the common goal of treating diabetic foot problems. Other interventions like Al-cowy were also sought from traditional healers. Educational campaigns are required to increase the awareness of patients and their families on possible hazards of unwise complementary therapy use. The decisions on the use of such therapies should be made in agreement with the attending healthcare professionals.

Total acid content (TAC) and soluble salt-free solids content (SSFSC) in Chinese vinegar are 2 important indicators in the assessment of its quality. This paper shows the feasibility to determine TAC and SSFSC in Chinese vinegar by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Synergy interval partial least square (Si-PLS) algorithm was performed to calibrate the regression model. The number of PLS factors and the number of intervals were optimized simultaneously by cross-validation. The performance of the model was evaluated according to root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and correlation coefficient (R) in the prediction set. The optimum Si-PLS model for TAC was achieved with RMSEP = 0.264 g/100 mL and R(p) = 0.9655; the optimum Si-PLS model for SSFSC was achieved with RMSEP = 1.93 g/100 mL and R(p) = 0.9302. The overall results demonstrated that NIR spectroscopy combined with Si-PLS could be utilized to determinate TAC and SSFSC in Chinese vinegar, and NIR spectroscopy has a potential to be used in vinegar industry., (© 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®)

Objective: To evaluate the performance of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) in preliminary screening of cervical cancer and its precancerous lesions among Chinese women by meta-analysis of diagnosis., Methods: Pubmed, Cochrane, Wanfang, CNKI and Weipu databases were employed to search for citations using the MeSH terms as "acetic acid", "cervical intraepithelial neoplasia", and "cervical cancer" both in Chinese and English. Additional relevant references cited in retrieval articles were also searched.40 pieces of research paper related with screening of cervical cancer and precancerous lesions of cervical cancer in Chinese women by VIA were collected. Bivariate random effects model was adopted using SAS 8.02., Results: Twenty-two studies including 23 330 cases were finally selected in the analysis, among which 19 studies were reported in Chinese and the other 3 in English. These studies were reported from 2004 to 2010 and the age-range of subjects was between 15 and 81 years old. Stratified analysis of diagnosis threshold showed that the pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of VIA for CIN1+ (4.11, 95%CI: 3.20 - 5.04) was similar to that for CIN2+ (4.45, 95%CI: 3.73 - 5.15). Either CIN1+ or CIN2+, the DOR in younger women (≤ 40 year) (4.22, 95%CI: 3.29 - 5.16; 4.53, 95%CI: 3.46 - 5.47) was also similar to it in older women (> 40 year) (3.66, 95%CI: 2.27 - 5.37; 4.26, 95%CI: 3.32 - 5.26). There was no difference in the screening performance between county-level doctors (DOR = 4.62, 95%CI: 3.13 - 5.93) and municipal-level doctors (DOR = 4.48, 95%CI: 3.71 - 5.16)., Conclusion: The screening performances of VIA were relatively consistent among different lesion grades and aging groups of Chinese women. After professional training, there was no difference in performance between county-level hospitals and municipal-level hospitals.

In the paper are described studies of the double proton transfer (DPT) processes in the cyclic dimer of acetic acid in the gas phase using Car-Parrinello (CPMD) and path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD). Structures, energies and proton trajectories have been determined. The results show the double proton transfer in 450 K. In the classical dynamics (CPMD) a clear process mechanism can be identified, where asynchronized DPT arises due to coupling between the O-H stretching oscillator and several low energy intermolecular vibrational modes. The DPT mechanism is also asynchronic when quantum tunneling has been allowed in the simulation. It has been found that the calculated values of barrier height for the proton transfer depends very strongly on the used approaches. Barrier received from the free-energy profile at the CPMD level is around 4.5 kcal mol(-1) whereas at the PIMD level is reduced to 1 kcal mol(-1). The nature of bonding in acetic acid dimer and rearrangement of electron density due to the proton movement has been also studied by the topological analysis of Electron Localization Function and Electron Localizability Indicator function.

In this study, cornstalk was pretreated by an acid-chlorite delignification procedure to enhance the conversion of cornstalk to bio-oil in hot-compressed water liquefaction. The effects of the pretreatment conditions on the compositional and structural changes of the cornstalk and bio-oil yield were investigated. It was found that acid-chlorite pretreatment changed the main components and physical structures of cornstalk and effectively enhanced the bio-oil yield. Shorter residence time favored production of the total bio-oil products, whereas longer time led to cracking of the products. A high water loading was found to be favorable for high yields of total bio-oil and water-soluble oil. GC-MS analysis showed that the water-soluble oil and heavy oil were the complicated products of C(5-10) and C(8-11) organic compounds.

The use of non-mammalian model organisms, including yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can provide new insights into eukaryotic PCD (programmed cell death) pathways. In the present paper, we report recent achievements in the elucidation of the events leading to PCD that occur as a response to yeast treatment with AA (acetic acid). In particular, ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation, cyt c (cytochrome c) release and mitochondrial function and proteolytic activity will be dealt with as they vary along the AA-PCD time course by using both wild-type and mutant yeast cells. Two AA-PCD pathways are described sharing common features, but distinct from one another with respect to the role of ROS and mitochondria, the former in which YCA1 acts upstream of cyt c release and caspase-like activation in a ROS-dependent manner and the latter in which cyt c release does not occur, but caspase-like activity increases, in a ROS-independent manner.

In the present paper, we have executed the synthesis of substituted 5-(2-chloroquinolin-3-yl)-3-phenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazolines via the reactions of substituted 3-(2-chloroquinolin-3-yl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-ones with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and sodium acetate in aqueous acetic acid solution in 72-90% yields at room temperature under ultrasound irradiation. This method provides several advantages such as operational simplicity, higher yield, safety and environment friendly protocol. The resulting substituted isoxazolines were characterized on the basis of (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, IR, elemental analysis, and mass spectral data., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Whether the concentration scaling behavior of a protein solution is similar to that of neutral polymer solutions, polyelectrolyte solutions, or neither still remains unclear. In this paper, the structure and rheological properties of α-zein in acetic acid solutions have been investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), rheology, and circular dichroism (CD) measurements. Through the investigation of the radii of gyration, the secondary structure, and the solution viscosities of α-zein in acetic acid solutions as a function of α-zein concentration, we observed two distinct scaling regions with an identical threshold. This critical concentration is close to the bulk density of the α-zein in very dilute solution. The scaling relationships are close to the theoretical predictions for polyelectrolyte solutions, but obvious discrepancies still exist. The phenomena presented here may be widely present in other protein solutions, which can stimulate more attentions on the understanding of the scaling behaviors of protein solutions.

Acetic acid soluble material (AcSM) is a chitosan-rich fraction isolated from the fungal cell wall materials. The final step in the traditional production of fungal chitosan is the separation of chitosan from the cell wall AcSM via raising the pH to 9-10 followed by centrifugation. This step results in further undesirable economic and environmental effects. The goal of this paper is to avoid that by investigating the antimicrobial effect of the whole AcSM from Mucor rouxii DSM-1191 cell wall and its application on cotton fabrics. The treated fabrics were characterized through monitoring the textile physical properties and for the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus. Results showed that Mucor rouxii DSM-1191 has excellent potentials to be used for cell wall AcSM production on industrial scale with a maximum content of 40% in dry mycelia. The obtained results indicated that the physical properties of the treated fabrics, as well as the antibacterial activity, were improved after treatment with fungal AcSM., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Spectroscopic studies on excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) of hydroxyquinoline (6HQ) have been performed in a previous paper. And a hydrogen-bonded network formed between 6HQ and acetic acid (AcOH) in nonpolar solvents has been characterized. In this work, a time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method at the def-TZVP/B3LYP level was employed to investigate the excited-state proton transfer via hydrogen-bonded AcOH wire for 6HQ. A hydrogen-bonded wire containing three AcOH molecules at least for connecting the phenolic and quinolinic -N- group in 6HQ has been confirmed. The excited-state proton transfer via a hydrogen-bonded wire could result in a keto tautomer of 6HQ and lead to a large Stokes shift in the emission spectra. According to the results of calculated potential energy (PE) curves along different coordinates, a stepwise excited-state proton transfer has been proposed with two steps: first, an anionic hydrogen-bonded wire is generated by the protonation of -N- group in 6HQ upon excitation to the S(1) state, which increases the proton-capture ability of the AcOH wire; then, the proton of the phenolic group transfers via the anionic hydrogen-bonded wire, by an overall "concerted" process. Additionally, the formation of the anionic hydrogen-bonded wire as a preliminary step has been confirmed by the hydrogen-bonded parameters analysis of the ESPT process of 6HQ in several protic solvents. Therefore, the formation of anionic hydrogen-bonded wire due to the protonation of the -N- group is essential to strengthen the hydrogen bonding acceptance ability and capture the phenolic proton in the 6HQ chromophore.

Background: In the scope of the wine vinegar production, this paper provides comprehensive information about the evolution of some volatile compounds during the biological acetification cycle. These data were compared with the acidity, cell concentration and ethanol concentration. Such information may allow a better understanding of the complex biological processes involved., Results: The volatile compounds 2-phenylethanol, diethyl succinate (diethyl butanedioate), meso-2,3-butanediol (meso-butane-2,3-diol), levo-2,3-butanediol (levo-butane-2,3-diol), methanol and ethyl acetate exhibited no significant changes between the starting wine and produced vinegar, whereas the rest [acetoin (3-hydroxybutan-2-one) excepted] ethyl lactate (ethyl 2-hydroxypropanoate), isoamyl alcohols (3-methylbutan-1-ol and 2-methylbutan-1-ol), isobutanol (2-methylpropan-1-ol), 1-propanol (propan-1-ol), and acetaldehyde were consumed in substantial amounts during the process. Additionally, their specific evolution patterns alongside bacterial cell concentrations, acidity and ethanol concentration are shown., Conclusion: Concentrations of acetic acid bacteria at the end of the acetification cycle were found to vary because of cell lysis, a result of the high acidity and low ethanol concentration of the medium. Variations were similar to those in some volatile compounds, which suggests their involvement in the metabolism of acetic bacteria. The results testify to the usefulness of this pioneering study and suggest that there should be interest in similar, more detailed studies for a better knowledge of the presence of certain volatile compounds and metabolic activity in cells effecting the acetification of wine., (Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Pliny the Elder's account of Cleopatra consuming a cocktail of vinegar and a pearl in order to win a bet with Antony was considered credible in the ancient world, but many modern scholars have relegated the anecdote to the realm of fantasy. This paper identifies possible reasons for this skepticism, including the visual tradition of the story and the belief that increasing concentration always increases reaction rate. Experiments reveal that, in the case of acetic acid and pearls, the concentration found in vinegar made from wine is ideal.

This study was a comparison between Ru-catalysts and similar, previously investigated, Pt-catalysts. In this paper, ruthenium catalysts for catalytic wet air oxidation are prepared, characterized and tested. Both catalysts were supported on commercial CeO2 as well as mixed oxide Zr(0.1)(Ce(0.75)Pr(0.25))(0.9)O2. The catalysts were characterized by measuring the oxygen storage capacities (OSC), BET, XRD, FTIR and chemisorption of hydrogen. In addition, the effect of sintering (treatments under H2) was compared with both of the catalysts. The comparison of the results showed that initial intrinsic activity of ruthenium is not significantly influenced by the type of the support, which is contrast to platinum. Furthermore, the particle size of Ru had an important effect on CWAO activity: the higher the particle size, the better the activity. This was different with Pt-catalysts, where the optimal particle size was smaller, having about 15% of metal dispersion., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: In China, there has been no established national program for cervical cancer prevention, the screening methods and experiences are especially deficient in the rural areas. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of acetic acid/Lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI) used for screening of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions in a rural area of China by analyzing the large-scale population-based screening data from the demonstration site., Methods: Women aged 30-59 years from Xiangyuan County in Shanxi Province were recruited for cervical cancer screening from 2005 to 2007. VIA/VILI was the primary screening method followed by colposcopy if the VIA/VILI was positive. Cervical lesions were diagnosed by directed biopsy under the colposcopy. The VIA/VILI negative women or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN1) were re-screened using the same procedure in the next year., Results: In total, 7145 women received the cervical cancer screening, with a participation rate of 74.75%. Their average age was 42.16 years. A total of 1287 women were consecutively screened for three times from 2005 to 2007. The detection rates of CIN2, CIN3 and cervical cancer were 0.70% (9/1287), 1.01% (13/1287) and 0.23% (3/1287) for the first round screening, and were 0.22% (2/976), 0.11% (1/976) and 0% (0/976) for the second round screening, respectively. Only one CIN2 was found in the third round screening. In the years of 2006-2007, 3490 women were screened consecutively twice. The detection rates of CIN2, CIN3 and cervical cancer were 0.26% (9/3490), 0.52% (18/3490) and 0.15% (5/3490) for the first round screening, and 0.40% (14/2943), 0.40% (14/2943) and 0.03% (1/2943) for the second round screening. Likewise, 2 368 women were screened consecutively twice in the years of 2007-2008. The detection rates of CIN2, CIN3 and cervical cancer were 0.55% (13/2368), 0.25% (6/2368) and 0.12% (3/2368) for the first round screening, and 0.42 (10/2040), 0.04% (1/2040) and 0% for the second round screening. The cumulative detection rates for CIN2, CIN3 and cervical cancer were 0.81% (58/7145), 0.74% (53/7145) and 0.17% (12/7145), respectively. And 53.45% (31/58) of CIN2, 68.81% (37/53) of CIN3 and almost all cervical cancers (11/12) were found during the first round screening, except for an early stage cervical cancer (Ia). Only one CIN2 was detected in the third round screening in the same population. The average age of CIN1, CIN2, CIN3 and cervical cancer were 38.65, 40.61, 44.10 and 46.73 years, respectively., Conclusions: VIA/VILI can be used as an alternative screening method for cervical cancer and high-grade pre-cancerous lesions among the women aged 30-59 years in China's rural areas because of its low cost, easy training for the local health providers, and less depending on facilities. One round screening by VIA/VILI can detect more than a half of CIN2, two-thirds of CIN3 and almost all the cervical cancer in the population, and the detection rates of CIN2/3 can be increased by two consecutive rounds of screening.

Background and Purpose: Site-direct delivery is a desirable and elusive goal. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this goal is usually met by coadministration with a kind of meridian guide drug (MGD). Vinegar-baked Radix Bupleuri (VBRB) is usually used to focus other drugs pharmacological effect on liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, the scientific data for this effect are not available. In this paper, the liver targeting enhancing effect of VBRB on resveratrol was investigated., Experimental Approach: Mice, 144, were divided into four groups by random, resveratrol group as control and resveratrol coadministered with three different doses of VBRB peroral. Concentrations of resveratrol in different tissues were determined by HPLC and the target efficiency was evaluated by relative uptake efficiency (RUE) and relative targeting efficiency (RTE)., Key Results: Compared to the control group, medium dose VBRB enhanced the targeting efficiency of resveratrol significantly, and the RUE and RTE were 1.79 and 46.9%, respectively. Meanwhile, it considerably reduced the distribution of resveratrol in lung and blood, the RUE and RTE in blood were 1.1, -22.6%, and were 0.88, -55.0% in lung, respectively. VBRB reduced the Cmax of resveratrol in almost all the tissues except for liver, heart and kidney, with the extent in the range of 26-61%. In addition, VBRB prolonged the retention time of resveratrol in liver, and shortened the retention time in other tissues., Conclusions and Implications: VBRB could enhance the distribution of resveratrol in liver, and reduce the distribution in other tissues, implying that VBRB might be a potential drug for achieving target therapy.